Dot Conner: Webtective is the feature-length spinoff of the series of the same name. The film, written and directed by Andrew Huff, sees Gili Gould reprise the titular role. The character is now entering high school with her best friends, Makayla (Lauryn McCardell) and Alex (Ethan Pogue). Unfortunately, their schedules don’t align, meaning they share no classes together. Even worse, though, is that everything that could go wrong does, and Dot has the worst first day of high school possible.
Even worse than that is the fact that Dot’s father, Grant (Drew Waters), went missing a few days ago. But when the mystery-loving teen receives a cryptic message from him, it sends her and her friends on a mission to save him. But hot on their heels are Viktor (Jason Marsden) and Anton (John Brady), the very same Russian thugs who are holding Grant captive. Why did they kidnap Grant? What will Dot, Makayla, and Alex uncover through the geocaching clues?
Jason Marsden as Viktor and John Brady as Anton on the set of Dot Conner: Webtective, The Movie on Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee, on July 24, 2024. (Photo by Frederick Breedon)
“…when the mystery-loving teen receives a cryptic message from him, it sends her and her friends on a mission to save him.”
Dot Conner: Webtective is a live-action cartoon. The Russian villains all speak with exaggerated accents, the sound design often adds comedic elements to simple scenes, and all the characters are slightly over-the-top. That isn’t to say they have no dimension, just that they are more to fulfill an archetype than necessarily have great depth. And none of that is a problem, as Huff knows, more or less, exactly what kind of story this is and who his target audience is. Most of the jokes land, and the film will certainly entertain the tween crowd with its hijinks.
Fortunately, the narrative will also capture the attention of older viewers due to the high stakes at play. That’s right, this family-friendly, religious spy thriller has real stakes. For all their goofy antics, Anton and Viktor are effective goons. They get the best of Grant in the very slick prologue and, later on, gain the upper hand over Dot and company. The family dynamics work well enough as well, so if the entire clan sat to watch this together, there’s going to be something to entertain everyone.
"…a hilarious and thrilling spy thriller that the whole family will enjoy."
